Page 136 of The Assignment: Room 3

“None of your fucking business. You will have to pry my woman and my daughter out of my cold, dead hands, you sorry sack of shit.”

“If you insist.”

“Any change?” I don’t know how much time has passed since Flex left this world. Freya sounds exhausted.

“No.” Pierce is here. He works here, I think. Maybe we’re in a different hospital. I don’t know.

“He’s still in a coma.”

He? Who?

The darkness takes me against my will.

“Still no pulse.”

“We finally got control of the infection in his thigh. It was touch and go. Another day and we were looking at amputation.” Pierce.

Thigh?

Flex.

“There’s brain activity, but I’m concerned that he’s not waking up. He needs Celest… Helena… to wake up. Flex needs to hear her and know she’s okay. He needs both of them. Her and Gracie.”

He’s alive!

“Where is he?” I don’t recognize the croaking voice that whispers in my ear.

“Celest.” My eyes snap to where Freya sits at my side. “Did you just talk?”

Did I? I open my mouth, but my throat is so dry. “Flex is alive?”

“Oh my God. Call her mom now. Call for the nurse.” There’s so much hope in my best friend’s tone. Something I haven’t heard since I got here.

“Celest, look at me,” Pierce commands me, knowing the submissive in me will respond. “Can you see me? Any blurriness?”

“He’s alive. Flex is alive?”

“Yes, but he has yet to regain consciousness. He lost almost his entire blood volume. It doesn’t look good right now.”

“Where is he?” My body screams to life as I attempt to move for the first time in who knows how many days. Every muscle aches, but I don’t care. Flex is in this hospital with a heartbeat.

“We need to look you over before you go anywhere.”

I force myself out of bed and out of this room. With no idea what direction I need to go, I turn to see Freya is close behind me, shouting for me to slow down.

“Celest… Helena… wait!”

I can’t stop. If I do, I won’t be able to get back up. For days, I’ve been reliving the moment his heart stopped.

“Where is he?”

“Tenth floor ICU.”

“What direction?”

“Wait. I’ll take you there myself. Please, you’re in no fit state to be running or even walking.”

“Then you better start running too.”

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